Bioabsorbable stents are a key development focus for many medical device companies because they are expected to eliminate many of the long-term issues that may arise from the use of biostable stents.
Key limitations of bioabsorbable stents are the physical limitations of the as-processed bioabsorbable materials, including the mechanical strength or the same. The mechanical properties of bioabsorbable materials have been enhanced previously by utilizing a process that is commonly referred to as “self reinforcement” or “orientrusion” wherein the material is drawn in a manner such that the polymer strands within the filament become aligned with the axis of the filament. Such processes are known to produce tensile modulus of approximately 2 GPa to 8 GPa for materials such as polymers and copolymers of polylactide (PLA), including poly-L-lactide (PLLA), poly-D-lactide (PDLA), poly-DL-lactide (PDLLA).